Sedatives promote calmness or sleepiness during surgery or severely stressful events. In addition, depression is a mental health issue that negatively affects emotional well-being. A group of drugs called anti-depressants is used to treat major depressive illnesses. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effects of quercetin (QUR) and linalool (LIN) on thiopental sodium (TS)-induced sleeping mice and to investigate the combined effects of these compounds using a conventional co-treatment strategy and in silico studies. For this, the TS-induced sleeping mice were monitored to compare the occurrence, latency, and duration of the sleep-in response to QUR (10, 25, 50 mg/kg), LIN (10, 25, 50 mg/kg), and diazepam (DZP, 3 mg/kg, i.p.). Moreover, an in silico investigation was undertaken to assess this study’s putative modulatory sedation mechanism. For this, we observed the ability of test and standard medications to interact with various gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor (GABA_A) subunits. Results revealed that QUR and LIN cause dose-dependent antidepressant-like and sedative-like effects in animals, respectively. In addition, QUR-50 mg/kg and LIN-50 mg/kg and/or DZP-3 mg/kg combined were associated with an increased latency period and reduced sleeping times in animals. Results of the in silico studies demonstrated that QUR has better binding interaction with GABA_A α3, β1, and γ2 subunits when compared with DZP, whereas LIN showed moderate affinity with the GABA_A receptor. Taken together, the sleep duration of LIN and DZP is opposed by QUR in TS-induced sleeping mice, suggesting that QUR may be responsible for providing sedation-antagonizing effects through the GABAergic interaction pathway.

Amino acid transporters (AATs) are essential membrane proteins that transfer amino acids across cells. They are necessary for plant growth and development. The lysine histidine transporter (LHT) gene family in maize (Zea mays) has not yet been characterized. According to sequence composition and phylogenetic placement, this study found 15 LHT genes in the maize genome. The ZmLHT genes are scattered across the plasma membrane. The study also analyzed the evolutionary relationships, gene structures, conserved motifs, 3D protein structure, a transmembrane domain, and gene expression of the 15 LHT genes in maize. Comprehensive analyses of ZmLHT gene expression profiles revealed distinct expression patterns in maize LHT genes in various tissues. This studys extensive data will serve as a foundation for future ZmLHT gene family research. This study might make easier to understand how LHT genes work in maize and other crops.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus, of which infection causing COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019, and the outbreak became pandemic in February of 2020. Till now there is no effective drug or vaccine against this virus that can make complete cure; however, a number of drugs are in trials. Objectives: In this review, we have focused on an alternative therapeutic approach using natural products utilizing host anti-viral responses for resolving COVID-19 pathogenesis. Methods: We have searched databases like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for articles related to natural products and viral diseases, with a specific focus on coronaviruses, as well as other RNA viruses and recent updates on COVID-19 pandemic, and collected articles and reviewed comprehensively. Results: Scientific studies clarified the viral pathogenesis that involved viral entrance into host cells, and antiviral response inside the cells, which can be effectively targeted by numerous natural compounds from different sources. Many of these compounds can potentially target viral genomic material or protein machinery. Natural products which were found effective against other coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV or MERS-CoV (which emerged in 2002 and 2012, respectively) might be effective against SARS-CoV-2 due to their structural similarities; however, it needs time to establish the clinical success of these drugs. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic is a global emergency problem and urgent drug development is necessary. Natural products can be the biggest source of drugs, as they have been found effective in other coronaviruses previously; however, it needs time to establish these drugs for clinical application.

Nutritional, Phytochemical, and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity Analysis of Different States of Soy Products: Consumer demand for food nutritional content and quality is driving the design of plant-based foods that are enhanced with proteins. In this study, we aimed to reveal the nutrient compositional differences of various states of soy flours. We compared soy protein concentrate (SPC) with full fat (FF), raw soy flour (RSF), and defatted (DF) soy flour for investigating nutritional content, phytochemicals, and in vitro antioxidant activity. The results showed that the SPC contained significantly ( ) higher protein content (65.14%) and low-fat content (0.54%) than RSF, FF, and DF. Furthermore, the findings revealed that all products contain a significant (ANOVA, ) amount of essential minerals. The RSF contains significantly higher ( ) potassium (1178.6 mg), calcium (216.77 mg), and magnesium (247 mg) per 100 g than FF, DF, and SPC. SPC contains essential amino acids, but we were unable to detect phenylalanine and tryptophan due to a limitation in the method. Furthermore, using methanolic and aqueous extracts of RSF, FF, DF, and SPC, the flavonoid, phenolics, and antioxidant capacity were also evaluated. According to the findings, soy products in methanolic extract had higher phenolic (about 12-34 mg/g) and flavonoid (about 63-150 mg/g) levels than aqueous extract. Results also demonstrated that FF had higher phenolic content, and SPC had higher flavonoid content than the other products. In vitro models such as phosphomolybdenum blue, FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays were used to study the total antioxidant and free radical scavenging potential of soy products, and results found that soy products contained a significant ( ) amount of antioxidant equivalent to gallic acid and vitamin C standard. In the DPPH and ABTS assays, the results also showed that soy products can reduce free radicals in different in vitro models. Altogether, these findings suggest that soy flours, particularly DF and SPC, could be a beneficial food ingredient in the formulation of functional foods.

Kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolites are implicated in various disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Simultaneous measurement of multiple KP metabolites offers valuable insight into the pathway's role in health and disease, would improve this relatively undeveloped field. This systematic review aim was to summarize the state of the art for measuring the eight key KP metabolites, using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), explicitly focusing on whether methods were validated using established guidelines with superior sensitivity and selectivity. We undertook a comprehensive review of the literature using the PRISMA guidelines. Our search uncovered 66 publications, and 39 qualified the defined key criteria. We summarized each publication's method development parameters, analytical design, and method performance specifications. We found notable variability in sample preparation techniques and analytical design across biological matrices, underscoring a lack of universally established and validated methods for KP metabolite quantification. We also identified significant gaps in the basic method evaluation. Our findings highlight that no single method has been evaluated for quantifying the eight key KP metabolites across three or more biological sample types, revealing a critical gap in the field. Our review emphasizes the need for robust analytical methods to quantify KP metabolites across multiple biological matrices, facilitating a better understanding of their roles in health and disease. Given the diversity of disorders involving the KP in the clinical testing lab, developing such methods will reduce diagnostic errors and advance KP metabolite research, supporting more precise, and personalized medical care.